1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a rotary connector having a structure where flat cables are wound in an annular space between a movable-side housing and a stationary-side housing, and more particularly, to a rotary connector that includes a lead block in which a plurality of pin terminals connected to a flat cable are arranged in parallel and held.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a rotary connector that is assembled with a steering device of an automobile and used as electrical connection means of an air bag system and the like, an annular space is formed between a movable-side housing and a stationary-side housing rotatably connected to each other and a flat cable is received in the annular space while being wound. Lead blocks, which are electrically connected to the outside, are connected to both end portions of the flat cable, respectively. The lead block, which is connected to one end portion of the flat cable, is mounted on the movable-side housing of the rotary connector, which is rotated integrally with a steering wheel, and is connected to an external connector that is led from an air bag system, a horn circuit, and the like provided on the steering wheel. Further, the lead block, which is connected to the other end portion of the flat cable, is mounted on the stationary-side housing of the rotary connector, and is connected to an external connector that is led from an electrical device provided on a vehicle body.
The lead block, which has been employed in the past in the rotary connector having the above-mentioned schematic structure, has a structure where the lead block, except for external joint portions close to tip portions of a plurality of conductors arranged in parallel and internal joint portions close to base end portions of the conductors, is coated with an insulating material and the internal joint portions of the respective conductors are exposed to welding hole portions of the insulating material. Accordingly, the lead block has been manufactured by insert molding. Further, the flat cable has a structure where a plurality of parallel belt-like conductors are exposed to the outside at both end portions. The lead block is superimposed on one surface of the flat cable so that the belt-like conductors of the flat cable and belt-like conductors of the lead block cross each other. Exposed portions of the belt-like conductors and the conductors exposed to the welding hole portions are connected to each other by welding (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-97088).
As described above, the lead block, which is used in the rotary connector in the related art, is manufactured by insert molding that requires a complicated mold. Accordingly, the manufacturing costs of the lead block are increased. For this reason, there is a problem in that it is difficult to reduce the costs of the rotary connector.